Resilient car door protector



Nov. 29, 1966 s. v. zlENTARA 3,283,512

BESILIENT CAR DOOR PROTECTOR Filed 000. 2l, 1955 1... Y `l/ I United States Patent Oiiice 3,288,512 RESILIENT CAR DOR PROTECTOR Stanley V. Zientara, 5243 S. Normandy Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60638 Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 499,598 8 Claims. (Cl. 293-1) My invention relates to means applicable to motor car bodies for protecting the sides thereof against injury by a-djoining cars in -a garage or parking lot. More particularly, the invention is Ian improvement on the device covered in my Patent No. 2,889,165, dated June 2, 1959, which is carried lby the door of a motor car to soften the impact when the door opens against the body of an adjoining car.

In general form the protector is a crowned strip of yieldable substance applied to extend along the outer surface of the door, with end-hooks projecting 'from the s-trip to engage the side flanges of the door. `Owing to the unstable factor in rubber and like substances, the patented device resorted to mechanical adjuncts in order to insure the hold of the end-hooks on the strip. However, of late substances have been developed which have both bodily cushioning qualities and extreme toughness, and it is therefore one object vof the present improvement to provide ymeans which atta-ch the end-hooks directly to the protector strip.

Another object is to provide :a metallic a-ttaching frame for each end-hook which secures clamping engagement with the protector strip along an extended area and by means of a series of fastening elements anchoring the frame to the strip at several points.

Another object is to mold the protector strip with longitudinal sl-ots in which sections of the frame are insertible, with the fastening elements applied 'from the inner side of the strip at longitudinally spaced points.

A .still further object is to mold the stripY in a manner to present cavities in its inner side in which the fastening means assume sunken positions, so that no metallic part is exposed to `mar the door which carries the Strip.

Another object is to extend the strip in pointed form beyond the opening edge of the door, whereby to insure `tirst contact by the end ofthe strip in case the door is opened against the .body of anV adjoining car.

An important object is to constructlthe attaching frame of the protector in a manner to be extensible with different va-rieties and sizes'of end hooks, according to the door dimensions and characteristics of dierent cars.

A better `understanding of the improved protector may be gained by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a mot-or car, showing the :protector mounted on a door;

FIG 2 is an elevation of the protector on a full-size scale, with the protector and adjacent portion of the car door broken away;

FIG. 3 is a double-size plan View of the showing in FIG. 2, taken mostly on the section line 3 6; Iand FIG. 4 is a section lon the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring specifically to the drawing, `denotes the protector strip; and the end-portions of FIG. 4 indicate that the strip is of substantially semiacircular cross-section. As in the structure of the patent, the strip 1t) is applied wih its flat side to the outer surface of the car door 12; and the protector strip 10 carries end-hooks 13 and 14 engageable with the edge anges 12a of the car door as shown in FIG. 3.

The metallic attaching lframe mentioned above is the Iimportant feature of the present improvement. It is of stainless steel; and the yframes are the source of the endhooks `13 and 14, and are virtually identical. Thus,

3,283,512 Patented Nov. 29, 1966 each frame comprises an inner bar 16, a second bar 17, and a third -bar 18. The inner bar 16 is the shank of the end-hook 13 (or 14); and the second bar 17 extends in doubled relation along the -outer side of the inner bar 16. The third bar 18 is spaced in parallelism from the second bar 17, and is joined to the same -by a terminal portion 19, the latter occurring at the same end of the frame as the end-hook 13 (or |14).

The protector strip is of extremely tough plastic ,substance, and is molded with `a narrow slot lila in its inner porti-on, and a narrower `slot 10b i-n outwardly-spaced relation to the slot 10a; and the slots are parallel and continuous throughout the strip. Thus, when a length of the strip is out corresponding to the width of la car door to which the strip is applied, a hook-attaching `frame is inserted in each end of the strip, the doubled bars 16-17 entering the slot 19a, and the single bar 18 entering the slot 10b, as is apparent in FIG. 3. The bars are of flat stock and dimensioned to t snugly in the related slots.

The attaching frame is secured in the embedded position by a series of `bolts 20. The protector strip is molded in its inner or flat face with holes 10c to receive the bolts, seats 10d `for the beveled hea-ds 21M of the bolts, and outer cavities 10e to accommodate the bolt heads in the sunken positions shown. With the protector strip applied to the polished surface of a car door, the sunken positions of the bolts keep the heads thereof from contacting and mar-ring the surface of the -d-oor. The outer frame bar -18 is made with tapped holes for receiving and retaining the bolts when they are lscrewed down.

The attaching frame serves both as a metallic rein- Y forcement for the protector strip on th-e inner side, and as a clamp for the stock 'of the protector strip between the frame bars 17 and 13. rPhe U-shape of the outer frame section ena-bles it to be made in one lpiece land the bars thereof to hold their positions. It is further noted that the reinforced protector strip is 4formed with a receding angle-at the left in FIG. 3-from the 'hinge edge of the car door, so as not to be in the way or strike the car body when the door is opened wide. On the other hand, the strip is extended at an angle beyond the openin-g edge of the car `dooras seen at the right in the same figure-in order to project a ridged edge ltlf of yieldable material as a cushion when the 4door is opened wide .and the protector contacts the body of an adjoining car.

' It is now apparent that the novel protector is a compact accessory which should be out somewhat shorter than the width of the door, in order that it may be stretched and secure a `strong grip on the same. The ton-gh consistency of the protect-or strip material not only serves to anchor the bolts retentively, but secures a rm engagement with the attaching frame on the inside by virtue of the clamping feature described. Further, the hooks extend-ed from lthe attaching frames `are comparatively thin and inconspicuous when engaged with the sides lof the door, so that only the protector is visible, and nothing in connection with it Idetracts from the appearance of the car.

I claim:

1. A protector applicable to a `door of a motor car to protect an adjoining car from injury when the door is opened, compris-ing a strip of resilient lmaterial applied to the iexterilor of the door, hooks endwise of the strip and engageable with the ,sides of the door to hold the strip to the same, the strip being made with slots from the ends and means clamping the portions of the strip between the slots, such means carrying said hooks.

2. rThe structure of claim 1, sai-d means including bars extending into the slots, and fastening means directed crosswise through said portions and bars.

3. A protector applicable to a door yof a motor car to protect an adjoining car from injury when the door is opened, comprising a strip of resilient material applied to the exterior of the door, hooks endwise of the strip and engageable with the si-des of the door to hold the strip to the same, and -means clamping internal portions of the strip, such means carrying said hooks, the strip having longitudinally directed slots in its ends, land said means comprising frames in such ends with components inserted in the slots and gathered to clamp portions between the slots, the frames extended with said hooks.

4. A protector applicable t-o a door of a motor car to protect an adjoining car from injury when the door is opened, comprising a strip of resilient material applied to the exterior of the door, hooks endwise of the strip and engageable with the sides of the door to hold the strip to the same, and means clamping internal portions of the strip, such means carrying said hooks, the strip having a pair of longitudinally directed slots throughout its length :and designed to be cut to a length proportion-ate to the width of the door, and said means comprising frames insertible in the ends of the strip when the length thereof has -been made suitable for a given door, the frames having bars seating in said slots, and means `gatherin-g the bars to clamp the strip portions between the slots, the frames extended with said hooks.

5. A protect-or applicable to a door of a motor car to protect an adjoining car `from injury when the door is opened, comprising a strip of resilient material applied to the exterior of the door, hooks endwise of the strip and enga-geable with the sides of the door to hold the strip to the same, and means clamping internal portions of -the strip, such means carrying said hooks, the strip having a pair of longitudinally directed slots throughout its length and designed to be out to a length proportionate to the width of the door, and said means comprising frames insertible in -the ends of 4the strip when the length thereof has -been made suitable for a given door, the frames having bars seating in said slots, and bolts crosswise of the strip and effective to -gather them and clamp the strip portions between the slots, the frames extended with said hooks.

6. A protector applicable to a door of a motor car to protect an adjoining car from injury when the door is opened, comprising a strip of resilient material applied t-o the exterior of the door, 4hooks endwise of the strip and engageable with the sides of the door to hold the strip to the same, and means clamping internal portions of the strip, such means carrying said hooks, the strip having a pair of longitudinally directed slots throughout its length and designed to be cut to Ia length proportionate to the width of the door, and said means comprising -frames insertible in the ends of the strip when the length thereof has been made suitable for a 'given door, the frames having bars seating in said slots, and bolts crosswise of the strip and effective to gather them and clamp the strip portion between the slots, the frames extended with `said hooks, said bolts directed ifrom the surface of the strip which is applied to the door, and such surface having cavities where the bolts occur to sink the heads of the bol-ts in the strip.

7. A- protect-or applicable to a door of a ymotor car to protect an adjoining car `from injury when the door is opened, comprising a strip of resilient material Iapplied to the exterior of the door, hooks endwise of the strip and engageable with the sides of the door to hold the strip to the same, and means clamping intern-al portions of the strip, such means carrying said hooks, the strip having longitudinally directed slots in its ends, and said means comprising a frame in each end of the strip, the components of each frame bein-g a bar terminating with one of `said hooks, a pair of parallel bars adjacent to said bar and along said strip portion, and second means gathering the bars to clamp such strip portion between the parallel bars and secure the latter to the rst-men tioned b-ar.

8. A protector applicable to a door of a motor car to protect an adjoining car from injury when the door is opened, comprising a strip of resilient material applied to the exterior of the door, hooks endwise of the strip and engageable with the sides of the door to hold the strip to the same, and means clamping internal portions of the strip, such means carrying said hooks, the strip having longitudinally directed slots in its ends, and said means comprising a frame in each end of the strip, the components of each -frame being a bar terminating with one of 4said hooks, a pair of parallel bars adjacent to said bar and along said st-rip portion, and second means gathering the 4bars to clamp such strip portion between the parallel bars yand secure the latter to the first-mentioned bar, said parallel bars joining with a connecting portion adjacent to the relate-d hook.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 689,935 7/1964 Canada.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

H, BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PROTECTOR APPLICABLE TO A DOOR OF A MOTOR CAR TO PROTECT AN ADJOINING CAR FROM INJURY WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED, COMPRISING A STRIP OF RESILIENT MATERIAL APPLIED TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE DOOR, HOOKS ENDWISE OF THE STRIP AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SIDES OF THE DOOR TO HOLD THE STRIP TO THE SAME, THE STRIP BEING MADE WITH SLOTS FROM THE ENDS AND MEANS CLAMPING THE PORTIONS OF THE STRIP BETWEEN THE SLOTS, SUCH MEANS CARRYING SAID HOOKS. 